MINNEAPOLIS (AP) 鈥 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday he will seek a third term in the 2026 elections, hoping to beat the odds to become the longest-serving governor in a state where voters have usually said two terms were plenty.
In a campaign video posted on YouTube, Walz said he鈥檚 running because his work is not done and he wants to make Minnesota a place where everyone has a chance to succeed.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen how we help each other through the hard times,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd boy, we鈥檝e seen terrible times this year. I鈥檓 heartbroken and angry about the beautiful people we lost to gun violence. But it鈥檚 in these moments we have to come together. We can鈥檛 lose hope because I鈥檝e seen what we can do when we work together.鈥
picked Walz as her running mate on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance 鈥 鈥淭hese guys are just weird鈥 鈥 spread widely.
Walz had been building up his national profile since their defeat in November. He was of as he toured and primary states. In May, he in South Carolina to stand up to Trump, saying, 鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 time for us to be a little meaner.鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e always tried to do what鈥檚 right for Minnesota, and I鈥檒l never stop fighting to protect us from the chaos, corruption, and cruelty coming out of Washington,鈥 Walz said in his announcement.
Walz, 61, has been frequently mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, but in July he would not run for president if he sought reelection.
His close political ally, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, was assassinated in June by a man posing as a police officer. Walz at her funeral. Trump Walz to offer condolences, saying it would have been a .
Walz and Minnesota mourned again late last month when and 21 people were injured in a shooting at a Minneapolis church where students from an affiliated school were celebrating Mass.
Walz then said he would of the Legislature to pass school and gun safety laws, but he has not set a date yet, nor proposed specific legislation for it. He said in his announcement Tuesday that one of his priorities is to 鈥済et serious about gun violence.鈥
Walz鈥檚 run for the vice presidency introduced the with a 鈥淢idwest Dad鈥 image to a wider, national audience. But it also brought new scrutiny of his and as a congressman before that, and his or exaggerate details and mangle his words.
He proudly touted the accomplishments of the 2023 legislative session, when Democrats used their full control to of liberal priorities, including free school meals for all students, and expanded protections for abortion and transgender rights.
But he also faced renewed criticism from the right for his handling of that of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 and a $300 million Republicans are sure to use that case and newer revelations of fraud in other state-run programs against him in 2026.
Minnesota’s most prominent GOP office-holder, U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, was among the Republicans on Tuesday who highlighted fraud under Walz’s watch.
鈥淲alz is a proven failure,鈥 Emmer said in a statement. 鈥淚nstead of boasting about a strong economy, great schools, or safe streets, the only thing Minnesotans can tout is the fact that Walz allowed the nation鈥檚 largest taxpayer-funded COVID program fraud to occur under his watch.”
No Minnesota governor has won a since the state switched to four-year terms in 1963. But no Minnesota Republican has won a statewide race since Tim Pawlenty was reelected to a second term as governor in 2006.
On the Republican side of the race, former business executive and Army veteran announced his candidacy in May and hopes to become Minnesota鈥檚 first Black governor. Qualls lost the GOP endorsement in 2022 to Scott Jensen, who announced in July that he鈥檚 running again.
The only current GOP office-holder in the race so far is state Rep. Kristin Robbins, of Maple Grove, who chairs a House committee formed this year to investigate fraud in government programs. She announced her candidacy Aug. 20.
